I am going to do my best to put a recipe from every post on this page. Hopefully enough will be created for an online cookbook. That would be cool.
1.--What This Blog Is About and a Yummy Treat Called Screamers
How to Make a Screamer at Home
This takes more work than just buying one, but you have the decided advantage of knowing exactly what has gone into your screamer. You can even make it healthy, if you use juice and frozen yogurt. You will need a blender, preferably one specifying an ice-crushing capability.
Note: You can buy a slushie maker called "Slushie Sensation" at London Drugs for about fifteen dollars. It consists of a plastic container and three plastic cubes. Freeze the cubes, place them in the container, add liquid of choice, and shake for about 45 seconds to a minute. Ta-da! A very nice slushie. If you don't own one, or cannot get one, the recipe for homemade slushies follows.
Slushie:
--2 cups liquid of choice (juice, koolaide, pop, booze--adults only, mind you--whatever other freezable liquid that's good or at least harmless to ingest)
--4 cups ice cubes
Place liquid in a blender with ice cubes and whizz away! Pour into container once done. If you need to keep it for awhile, place (freezable) container in freezer, stirring every ten or fifteen minutes.
To make your Screamer: Buy your favorite vanilla ice cream. Leave vanilla ice cream out at room temperature for about fifteen minutes. You need to finesse this--the more often you make Screamers, the better you are at deciding when your ice cream is soft enough to use. Take a large glass and place some slushie in the bottom, and layer the glass progressively with the softened vanilla ice cream and slushie mixture, until you have reached the top. Add a straw.
Don't forget to put the ice cream away.
2.--Texx Big Burger--A Really Good Burger
Home-Made Fries
You can't beat home-made fries. You just can't. Any pot will do, but a cast-iron skillet is best as it holds the heat evenly for a long time. This is a rule-of-thumb recipe; you can get other recipes far more detailed off the 'Net. But this will do you no matter where you are, whether it be camping or at a friend's house or in a shelter somewhere as the aliens attack. This is not how they make it at Texx Big Burger, but it contains the same principles for making those luvly fries as they use.
--2 russet or baking potatoes(or any with a high starch content) per person
--Enough oil to fill a cast-iron skillet to a depth of 3" (7-8 centimeters), preferably peanut oil, in spite of its bad rep, but any kind of vegetable oil will do nicely.
Peel potatoes. If you wish to leave some peel on (which is luvly), scrub first. Slice into 1/2" (1-1.5 centimeter) slices, then lengthwise into 1/2" (1-1.5 centimeter) batons. If you're just doing enough for one person, place into oil. (Test oil for readiness by dipping the tip of a baton into the oil. If it sizzles it's ready to cook) If oil "roils" too fast, reduce heat slightly. If you are making fries for more than one person, place remainder of cut fries into a pan of ice water to prevent browning. Cook until golden brown. Remove from fat and place on paper towels for a moment or two to soak up excess fat, then transfer to serving container and sprinkle with kosher salt. Eat as soon as you don't burn your tongue when you bite into fries.
3.--PNE Food
A Better Pizza
You can make better pizza at home than you can by buying it. Not only that, it's cheaper and healthier.
--Pizza dough (everything you ever wanted to know about making it can be found here: http://www.recipepizza.com/toppings/ )
--Pizza sauce (the link above also gives you lovely tomato-based sauces and more)
--About 20 slices pepperoni
--2 cups whole milk mozzarella or pizza mozzarella (it says "pizza mozzarella" on the package),grated
--Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano parmesan cheese
Once pizza dough is rolled/stretched out into the shape of a round (see link above; this is an awesome pizza site!), place on pizza stone (preferred) or pizza pan and spread one to two cupfuls of tomato sauce on it, depending on personal taste. Spread grated mozzarella cheese over, then top with pepperoni slices. Bake @ 400º-450º F. for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is lovely and light brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and let cool. Enjoy!
4.--Greco's--Granville Island Market Food Without the Prices
A Great Antipasto Platter
One of the really nice things about Greco's is that you can make a fabulous antipasto platter and get nearly everything for it there--including the platter!
--Approx. 115 g. each of several sliced cold cuts, such as prociutto, mortadella or salami
--Jar of marinated artichoke hearts
--Jar of roasted red peppers
--Two or three cheeses, such as thickly shaved parmagianno regianno, provolone, mozzarella (Greco's lets you taste cheese if you're not sure)
--A bread such as focaccia bread
--Crackers or bread sticks
--A nice vegetarian or meat spread for the crackers
--Two or three types of olives, such as kalamata, cerignola, pimento-stuffed manzanilla
--Fruit such as cantaloupe, melon, figs, pears, grapes
Arrange on a large platter in groups. Serve with a nice Pinot Noir or sparkling water.
5.--FOOD FIGHT!
Home Made is Best Smoothie
As handy as kiosks and cafés are, nothing beats home made. When you create smoothies at home, you do yourself several favors: they are 100% pure, no additives; you know the fruits going into the smoothies are fresh; you get to choose what flavors your smoothies have, instead of choosing from a limited menu; they are cheaper; and best of all, they taste fabulous. I recommend using a Vitamix blender, which is simply the best you can get, in my opinion. But hopefully if you have another blender it will do the job as well. Even a food processor will work.
--Two cups of your favorite fruit(s), frozen
--1/2 cup green leafy vegetable, such as kale, spinach, romaine, etc.
--1/4 cup ice
--1/4-1/2 cup frozen vanilla yogurt (optional)
Place fruit in blender and pulse until fairly smooth. If you don't have a pulse option simply allow blender to run until fruit resembles the consistency of a slushie. Add green leafy veg and pulse till smooth, then ice and pulse till smooth, and finally the frozen yogurt, if you are using it. Pour into two glasses and share with someone else or put one glass in the fridge for later. Makes two generous cups.
6.--Sweeeet!
An Excellent Apple Pie
I have always loved home made apple pie. In my eyes there are fewer culinary sights and scents more beautiful than that golden crust, redolent with apple and cinnamon.
Pastry (makes 1 2-crust 9" pie):
--2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
--1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp. or 3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into 2 inch pieces
--4 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
--1/2 tsp. salt
--1/2 to 1 cup ice water
Blend all ingredients except for ice water with a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles very coarse meal with some pea-sized lumps. Drizzle 1/4 cup ice water over mixture and gently stir (or pulse if using food processor) until water is incorporated. If dough doesn't hold together when you squeeze a small handful, add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until it does. Turn dough out onto a work surface and gather together into two 5"-6" disks. Lightly dust with a little additional flour if dough is sticky; wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
Filling:
--4 to 4 1/2 pounds Granny Smith, Braeburn, or other pie apple, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2 inch dice.
--3 quarts boiling water
--1/2 cup granulated sugar
--1 tsp. cinnamon
--1/4 tsp. salt
--1 Tbsp. cornstarch
--1 pie dough recipe (see above), brought to room temperature
--2 Tbsp. evaporated milk (or yolk of one egg, beaten) (or 1 egg white, beaten, plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar for sprinkling on top)
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Placing a rimmed cookie sheet on rack below the baking rack is recommended as it will catch any pie juices from hitting oven floor and burning on.
Place apple dice in a large bowl and pour boiling water directly overtop. Cover and set aside for ten minutes, then drain apples well and allow to cool for ten minutes, tossing occasionally. Add sugar, cinnamon, salt and cornstarch and toss until apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
Roll one disk of dough to roughly a circle 12 inches in diameter and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Add filling. Roll out second disk to same size as first and transfer to top of pie. Using kitchen shears, trim crust away, leaving a 1/2" to 1" overhang all the way around.
Using some of the evaporated milk (or egg yolk) (or egg white), wet a dinner fork and press crust down all the way around, sealing two edges of pie together. Brush remaining on top of pie using a pastry brush. Using sissors or a knife, cut 5 or 6 slits into top of pie for ventilation. If desired sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of sugar over pie. Bake until light golden, about 20 minutes, then reduce heat and bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Allow to cool at room temperature at least two hours before serving. Makes 6-8 servings. For a truly memorable pie, serve with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, both pie and ice cream drizzled with Rewarewa honey (generally available at the Honeybee Centre, at Fry's Corner (176 St. and Fraser Hwy.)
7.--Life Is Spicy at the Fraser Valley Food Show
BBQ Ribs
--2 racks pork baby back ribs
--1/2 cup African Queen spice rub from L. B. Emporium
BBQ Sauce:
--1 cup tomato ketchup
--1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce, more if desired
--3-4 tsp. honey (try buckwheat honey--can be purchased at the Honeybee Centre)
--1/4 cup apple juice
--TBSP Worcestershire sauce
--1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
--2 cloves garlic, crushed
--2 TBSP molasses
The day before you are going to BBQ the ribs, or at least several hours before, lay both pork racks on a large cookie sheet and rub spice rub all over them; turn pork racks over and do the same to the underside. Make sure rub coats all of the pork ribs. Cover with tin foil and put in refridgerator over night or for at least three or four hours. Make BBQ sauce and set aside.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350º F. and remove cookie sheet with ribs from fridge. Place in oven and bake for at least two hours. Meat should be well cooked but not yet falling off the bone. Remove racks to a cutting board until cool enough to handle. In the meantime, heat barbecue up. To medium. Slice pork racks into two-rib widths. Brush thickly with BBQ sauce and place on BBQ. Heat shouldn’t be too high, medium to medium-low. Cover and allow to cook for about 15 minutes, then turn ribs and coat other side thickly with sauce. Continue this way for about an hour. Coating should be thick and sticky and meat nearly falling off the bone.
8.--Fraser Valley Food Show Winners
Sausage Fry-Up
--4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, baked, cooled and cut into 1" dice
--1 lb. sausage of choice (kielbasa is nice, but any personal favorite will do), sliced
--1 onion, diced
--2 cups sliced mushrooms
--4 roma tomatoes, sliced
--4-8 eggs
--salt & pepper to taste
Heat a large skillet and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or butter. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté until onions are translucent. Add sausages and sauté another two minutes or so, stirring, then add diced potato, sliced tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Sauté another two minutes. Break eggs gently into mixture and cover with a lid and sauté/simmer for another four minutes, or until egg whites on top of eggs are opaque (yolks should still be soft). Serves 4.
9.--A Great Little Diner
Perogi Skillet Dinner
--454 g. package of potato-cheese perogies
--2 TBSP butter
--1 green pepper, chopped coarsely
--1 onion, chopped coarsely
--454 g. kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1-inch rounds
--500 ml container sour cream or balkan-style yogurt
Boil perogies according to directions on package, drain and set aside. In a large cast-iron skillet melt butter over medium-high heat and add green pepper and onion. Lower heat to medium and sauté vegetables until onions are transluscent. Add kielbasa sausage and continue to sauté for another four minutes. Add perogies and sauté for about five mintues more. Serve with sour cream or yogurt on the side. May be garnished with fresh chives or parsley, if desired. Serves 4-6.
10.--FOOD FIGHT!
Fish & Chips
This batter recipe results in a lovely, crispy coating that still allows the fish to shine. Just make sure your ingredients are all cold (including the flour--in the freezer for 15 minutes is good), and that you dip the fish and put it in the oil immediately.
1 lb cod or other white fish like haddock or tilapia
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup baking soda
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2/3 cup beer
Enough oil(peanut oil or a vegetable oil such as safflower oil or sunflower oil) to fill to 2" in a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan or other large pan of choice.
Mix flour, cornstarch and salt in medium bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar. Add beer and mix slightly, then pour into flour mixture, mixing until just smooth. Batter should be thick. Place in fridge until ready to use. Portion fish out into four or five servings and pat dry with a paper towel. Bring batter out from fridge, dip each piece in batter and place carefully in hot oil. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, turning fish once, until batter is nicely brown. Dry on paper towels. Serve with chips from recipe #2, near the top of this page. Serves 2.
11.--TAQUERIA JALISCO
Chicken Quesadilla
I was hard-pressed to find a chicken quesadilla recipe that measured up to the one at Taqueria Jalisco. But I tried this one and, with a few tweaks here and there, made one nearly as good as the one I had there.
Pico de Gallo:
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
Quesadilla filling:
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half, cut into strips
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, diced small
2 stalks green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
olive oil, for frying
4 large flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Montery Jack cheese
No-fat Balkan-style plain yogurt, for garnish
In a small bowl combine first five ingredients; set aside. Heat a large skillet with a couple of tablespoons olive oil, add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Remove from skillet. Add another tablespoon of olive oil or so and add quesadilla filling bell pepper and green onion; sauté until green pepper is tender. Add crushed garlic and sauté a minute or two more, until garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken and half the Pico de Gallo. Remove from heat.
In a 12" heated cast-iron skillet place one of the tortillas. Spread 1/4 cup of the cheese evenly over the tortilla. Add 1/2 the chicken mixure, then top with another 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with another tortilla. When bottom tortilla is browned and cheese has started to melt, carefully flip quesadilla and brown on opposite side. Remove from skillet and cool for about five minutes before cutting into quarters. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Serve quesadillas with remaining Pico de Gallo and a dollop of yogurt.
12.--SUSHI & ROLL
California Roll
The really great thing about this particular recipe is that it's good for beginners, but doesn't taste like it.
1.--What This Blog Is About and a Yummy Treat Called Screamers
How to Make a Screamer at Home
This takes more work than just buying one, but you have the decided advantage of knowing exactly what has gone into your screamer. You can even make it healthy, if you use juice and frozen yogurt. You will need a blender, preferably one specifying an ice-crushing capability.
Slushie:
--2 cups liquid of choice (juice, koolaide, pop, booze--adults only, mind you--whatever other freezable liquid that's good or at least harmless to ingest)
--4 cups ice cubes
Place liquid in a blender with ice cubes and whizz away! Pour into container once done. If you need to keep it for awhile, place (freezable) container in freezer, stirring every ten or fifteen minutes.
To make your Screamer: Buy your favorite vanilla ice cream. Leave vanilla ice cream out at room temperature for about fifteen minutes. You need to finesse this--the more often you make Screamers, the better you are at deciding when your ice cream is soft enough to use. Take a large glass and place some slushie in the bottom, and layer the glass progressively with the softened vanilla ice cream and slushie mixture, until you have reached the top. Add a straw.
Don't forget to put the ice cream away.
2.--Texx Big Burger--A Really Good Burger
Home-Made Fries
You can't beat home-made fries. You just can't. Any pot will do, but a cast-iron skillet is best as it holds the heat evenly for a long time. This is a rule-of-thumb recipe; you can get other recipes far more detailed off the 'Net. But this will do you no matter where you are, whether it be camping or at a friend's house or in a shelter somewhere as the aliens attack. This is not how they make it at Texx Big Burger, but it contains the same principles for making those luvly fries as they use.
--2 russet or baking potatoes(or any with a high starch content) per person
--Enough oil to fill a cast-iron skillet to a depth of 3" (7-8 centimeters), preferably peanut oil, in spite of its bad rep, but any kind of vegetable oil will do nicely.
Peel potatoes. If you wish to leave some peel on (which is luvly), scrub first. Slice into 1/2" (1-1.5 centimeter) slices, then lengthwise into 1/2" (1-1.5 centimeter) batons. If you're just doing enough for one person, place into oil. (Test oil for readiness by dipping the tip of a baton into the oil. If it sizzles it's ready to cook) If oil "roils" too fast, reduce heat slightly. If you are making fries for more than one person, place remainder of cut fries into a pan of ice water to prevent browning. Cook until golden brown. Remove from fat and place on paper towels for a moment or two to soak up excess fat, then transfer to serving container and sprinkle with kosher salt. Eat as soon as you don't burn your tongue when you bite into fries.
3.--PNE Food
A Better Pizza
You can make better pizza at home than you can by buying it. Not only that, it's cheaper and healthier.
--Pizza dough (everything you ever wanted to know about making it can be found here: http://www.recipepizza.com/toppings/ )
--Pizza sauce (the link above also gives you lovely tomato-based sauces and more)
--About 20 slices pepperoni
--2 cups whole milk mozzarella or pizza mozzarella (it says "pizza mozzarella" on the package),grated
--Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano parmesan cheese
Once pizza dough is rolled/stretched out into the shape of a round (see link above; this is an awesome pizza site!), place on pizza stone (preferred) or pizza pan and spread one to two cupfuls of tomato sauce on it, depending on personal taste. Spread grated mozzarella cheese over, then top with pepperoni slices. Bake @ 400º-450º F. for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is lovely and light brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and let cool. Enjoy!
4.--Greco's--Granville Island Market Food Without the Prices
A Great Antipasto Platter
One of the really nice things about Greco's is that you can make a fabulous antipasto platter and get nearly everything for it there--including the platter!
--Approx. 115 g. each of several sliced cold cuts, such as prociutto, mortadella or salami
--Jar of marinated artichoke hearts
--Jar of roasted red peppers
--Two or three cheeses, such as thickly shaved parmagianno regianno, provolone, mozzarella (Greco's lets you taste cheese if you're not sure)
--A bread such as focaccia bread
--Crackers or bread sticks
--A nice vegetarian or meat spread for the crackers
--Two or three types of olives, such as kalamata, cerignola, pimento-stuffed manzanilla
--Fruit such as cantaloupe, melon, figs, pears, grapes
Arrange on a large platter in groups. Serve with a nice Pinot Noir or sparkling water.
5.--FOOD FIGHT!
Home Made is Best Smoothie
As handy as kiosks and cafés are, nothing beats home made. When you create smoothies at home, you do yourself several favors: they are 100% pure, no additives; you know the fruits going into the smoothies are fresh; you get to choose what flavors your smoothies have, instead of choosing from a limited menu; they are cheaper; and best of all, they taste fabulous. I recommend using a Vitamix blender, which is simply the best you can get, in my opinion. But hopefully if you have another blender it will do the job as well. Even a food processor will work.
--Two cups of your favorite fruit(s), frozen
--1/2 cup green leafy vegetable, such as kale, spinach, romaine, etc.
--1/4 cup ice
--1/4-1/2 cup frozen vanilla yogurt (optional)
Place fruit in blender and pulse until fairly smooth. If you don't have a pulse option simply allow blender to run until fruit resembles the consistency of a slushie. Add green leafy veg and pulse till smooth, then ice and pulse till smooth, and finally the frozen yogurt, if you are using it. Pour into two glasses and share with someone else or put one glass in the fridge for later. Makes two generous cups.
6.--Sweeeet!
An Excellent Apple Pie
I have always loved home made apple pie. In my eyes there are fewer culinary sights and scents more beautiful than that golden crust, redolent with apple and cinnamon.
Pastry (makes 1 2-crust 9" pie):
--2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
--1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp. or 3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into 2 inch pieces
--4 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
--1/2 tsp. salt
--1/2 to 1 cup ice water
Blend all ingredients except for ice water with a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles very coarse meal with some pea-sized lumps. Drizzle 1/4 cup ice water over mixture and gently stir (or pulse if using food processor) until water is incorporated. If dough doesn't hold together when you squeeze a small handful, add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until it does. Turn dough out onto a work surface and gather together into two 5"-6" disks. Lightly dust with a little additional flour if dough is sticky; wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
Filling:
--4 to 4 1/2 pounds Granny Smith, Braeburn, or other pie apple, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2 inch dice.
--3 quarts boiling water
--1/2 cup granulated sugar
--1 tsp. cinnamon
--1/4 tsp. salt
--1 Tbsp. cornstarch
--1 pie dough recipe (see above), brought to room temperature
--2 Tbsp. evaporated milk (or yolk of one egg, beaten) (or 1 egg white, beaten, plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar for sprinkling on top)
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Placing a rimmed cookie sheet on rack below the baking rack is recommended as it will catch any pie juices from hitting oven floor and burning on.
Place apple dice in a large bowl and pour boiling water directly overtop. Cover and set aside for ten minutes, then drain apples well and allow to cool for ten minutes, tossing occasionally. Add sugar, cinnamon, salt and cornstarch and toss until apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
Roll one disk of dough to roughly a circle 12 inches in diameter and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Add filling. Roll out second disk to same size as first and transfer to top of pie. Using kitchen shears, trim crust away, leaving a 1/2" to 1" overhang all the way around.
Using some of the evaporated milk (or egg yolk) (or egg white), wet a dinner fork and press crust down all the way around, sealing two edges of pie together. Brush remaining on top of pie using a pastry brush. Using sissors or a knife, cut 5 or 6 slits into top of pie for ventilation. If desired sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of sugar over pie. Bake until light golden, about 20 minutes, then reduce heat and bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Allow to cool at room temperature at least two hours before serving. Makes 6-8 servings. For a truly memorable pie, serve with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, both pie and ice cream drizzled with Rewarewa honey (generally available at the Honeybee Centre, at Fry's Corner (176 St. and Fraser Hwy.)
7.--Life Is Spicy at the Fraser Valley Food Show
BBQ Ribs
--2 racks pork baby back ribs
--1/2 cup African Queen spice rub from L. B. Emporium
BBQ Sauce:
--1 cup tomato ketchup
--1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce, more if desired
--3-4 tsp. honey (try buckwheat honey--can be purchased at the Honeybee Centre)
--1/4 cup apple juice
--TBSP Worcestershire sauce
--1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
--2 cloves garlic, crushed
--2 TBSP molasses
The day before you are going to BBQ the ribs, or at least several hours before, lay both pork racks on a large cookie sheet and rub spice rub all over them; turn pork racks over and do the same to the underside. Make sure rub coats all of the pork ribs. Cover with tin foil and put in refridgerator over night or for at least three or four hours. Make BBQ sauce and set aside.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350º F. and remove cookie sheet with ribs from fridge. Place in oven and bake for at least two hours. Meat should be well cooked but not yet falling off the bone. Remove racks to a cutting board until cool enough to handle. In the meantime, heat barbecue up. To medium. Slice pork racks into two-rib widths. Brush thickly with BBQ sauce and place on BBQ. Heat shouldn’t be too high, medium to medium-low. Cover and allow to cook for about 15 minutes, then turn ribs and coat other side thickly with sauce. Continue this way for about an hour. Coating should be thick and sticky and meat nearly falling off the bone.
8.--Fraser Valley Food Show Winners
Sausage Fry-Up
--4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, baked, cooled and cut into 1" dice
--1 lb. sausage of choice (kielbasa is nice, but any personal favorite will do), sliced
--1 onion, diced
--2 cups sliced mushrooms
--4 roma tomatoes, sliced
--4-8 eggs
--salt & pepper to taste
Heat a large skillet and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or butter. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté until onions are translucent. Add sausages and sauté another two minutes or so, stirring, then add diced potato, sliced tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Sauté another two minutes. Break eggs gently into mixture and cover with a lid and sauté/simmer for another four minutes, or until egg whites on top of eggs are opaque (yolks should still be soft). Serves 4.
9.--A Great Little Diner
Perogi Skillet Dinner
--454 g. package of potato-cheese perogies
--2 TBSP butter
--1 green pepper, chopped coarsely
--1 onion, chopped coarsely
--454 g. kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1-inch rounds
--500 ml container sour cream or balkan-style yogurt
Boil perogies according to directions on package, drain and set aside. In a large cast-iron skillet melt butter over medium-high heat and add green pepper and onion. Lower heat to medium and sauté vegetables until onions are transluscent. Add kielbasa sausage and continue to sauté for another four minutes. Add perogies and sauté for about five mintues more. Serve with sour cream or yogurt on the side. May be garnished with fresh chives or parsley, if desired. Serves 4-6.
10.--FOOD FIGHT!
Fish & Chips
This batter recipe results in a lovely, crispy coating that still allows the fish to shine. Just make sure your ingredients are all cold (including the flour--in the freezer for 15 minutes is good), and that you dip the fish and put it in the oil immediately.
1 lb cod or other white fish like haddock or tilapia
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup baking soda
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2/3 cup beer
Enough oil(peanut oil or a vegetable oil such as safflower oil or sunflower oil) to fill to 2" in a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan or other large pan of choice.
Mix flour, cornstarch and salt in medium bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar. Add beer and mix slightly, then pour into flour mixture, mixing until just smooth. Batter should be thick. Place in fridge until ready to use. Portion fish out into four or five servings and pat dry with a paper towel. Bring batter out from fridge, dip each piece in batter and place carefully in hot oil. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, turning fish once, until batter is nicely brown. Dry on paper towels. Serve with chips from recipe #2, near the top of this page. Serves 2.
11.--TAQUERIA JALISCO
Chicken Quesadilla
I was hard-pressed to find a chicken quesadilla recipe that measured up to the one at Taqueria Jalisco. But I tried this one and, with a few tweaks here and there, made one nearly as good as the one I had there.
Pico de Gallo:
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
Quesadilla filling:
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half, cut into strips
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, diced small
2 stalks green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
olive oil, for frying
4 large flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Montery Jack cheese
No-fat Balkan-style plain yogurt, for garnish
In a small bowl combine first five ingredients; set aside. Heat a large skillet with a couple of tablespoons olive oil, add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Remove from skillet. Add another tablespoon of olive oil or so and add quesadilla filling bell pepper and green onion; sauté until green pepper is tender. Add crushed garlic and sauté a minute or two more, until garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken and half the Pico de Gallo. Remove from heat.
In a 12" heated cast-iron skillet place one of the tortillas. Spread 1/4 cup of the cheese evenly over the tortilla. Add 1/2 the chicken mixure, then top with another 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with another tortilla. When bottom tortilla is browned and cheese has started to melt, carefully flip quesadilla and brown on opposite side. Remove from skillet and cool for about five minutes before cutting into quarters. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Serve quesadillas with remaining Pico de Gallo and a dollop of yogurt.
12.--SUSHI & ROLL
California Roll
The really great thing about this particular recipe is that it's good for beginners, but doesn't taste like it.
- 2 cups cooked, cooled sushi rice
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. white sugar
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
- ½ cup crabmeat, finely chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 8 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
- 3 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 cup cucumber, julienned
- 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and julienned
Mix vinegar and sugar together, stirring until cooled, in medium bowl. Add rice and mix well. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix crabmeat, mayonaise and cilantro and set aside. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a bamboo wrapping mat. Lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic wrap. Pat a thin layer of rice over the nori, leaving about a quarter inch space at end nearest you. Sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds and press into rice. Flip nori sheet over onto plastic wrap so seaweed side is up, and place a line of cucumber, then avocado, then crabmeat mixture at bottom of sheet. Pick end of bamboo mat up and begin rolling nori, making certain plastic wrap is not rolled up with sushi. Roll sushi into a tight cylinder, squeezing gently as you roll. Slice each roll into two inch pieces with a very sharp knife dipped in hot water. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.
lovely collection of recipes.hope those recipes having some good taste.great share.
ReplyDeleteChicken quesadilla recipe